Snippets Forty-Eight: A Day Without John

After Beau left, Dean got dressed and made sure his brother was warm enough.  He got on the phone and dialed the number Beau had given him. Castiel sat on the bed next to the boy, keeping a hand on his back, giving encouragement.

“Singer’s Salvage.”

Dean was quiet for a second.  The sound a safe voice shook him up.

“Hello?”

“Un…Unca Bobby?”

This time Bobby was quiet.

“Dean?  Are you and Sam all right?”

“No.  Beau said to call you.  We wanna come home.”

“What happened, Dean?”

“They hunted last night.”

“Okay.  Your Dad there?”

“He fell.  Beau put him in the hospital.  Can we come home?”

“Yeah, you can come home.  Where are you?”

“I dunno.”

“Okay, give me the number written on the phone.  I’ll find you.”

Dean gave him the number.  Bobby picked up another phone and dialed the number, getting the name and address of the motel.”

“I’ll be there tomorrow morning, Son.  Are you two okay?  Is there a grown up with you.”

“Just me and Sam, but Beau gave me money. “

“I’m on my way.  You be careful.  Order in.  Don’t go out.”

“Kay.  Gotta pay for tonight.”

“No further.”

Dean went to the office and paid for the night.  He lied and said his dad was sick and asleep.  He saw a restaurant across the street with a small store next to it.  He knew he promised Bobby but this was better.  He bought food and snacks and headed back to the motel.

Neither boy left the room after this.  Every few hours Bobby called and checked on them.  Soon they were getting calls from someone named Caleb and a minister named Jim Murphy.

Dean colored with Sam and read him stories from the books he bought at the store.  He never showed how scared he was.  It was his job to protect Sammy and he would do it.

Castiel kept a close guard on the room, not letting anyone near it. 

As evening set in, Dean microwaved Spaghettios and he and Sam had supper.  He bathed and dressed his brother and helped him into bed. 

The young boy sat on a chair and tried to watch television.  His vision was too blurred by tears to see anything.  After a while he dozed in the chair with the tears drying on his face.

The angel sat on the arm of the chair all night and allowed himself to be a pillow for the blond head.